Too Stubborn
by MarMarBinks
Summary: One-shot. Leo and Mikey follow the Elite Guard to a warehouse and a fight erupts.  Oh yeah, and there's a bomb.  Mikey learns what he's eldest brother would do for him.  There is a hint of blood, not much though, but I'll go with T to be safe!


**A/N: **This is a little one-shot that I instantly thought of when me and my little brother were swimming. We were making a whirlpool (we have a circle pool; you just walk in one direction around the pool and when it's really strong, you try to swim the other way) and I called to him saying, "Run, Bud, run as fast as you can!"

**Disclaimer: **TMNT does not belong to me...sadly.

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><p>"Training is finished for the day," Master Splinter dismissed them from the dojo. Following his brothers out into the living area, Don said, "Just in time for MythBusters." Sitting on their worn couch, the purple clad turtle flipped to the discovery channel.<p>

"Mind if I join you?" Raph asked, flipping over the back of the couch and plopping down beside his intelligent brother.

Don looked at his immediate older brother in disbelief. "You want to...join me? Don't you wanna go bash some thugs' heads or something? I didn't think you liked, as you call them, 'geek shows.'"

"Normally, I don't but I like the explosions in this one."

The bo staff wielding turtle rolled his eyes and turned to the TV. "Of course you would."

On the other side of the room, Leo turned to his youngest brother. "Wanna go get some air?"

Mikey nodded his head enthusiastically. "Sure thing, bro!"

The orange clad turtle followed his eldest brother through the sewers and out a manhole onto the streets of New York. Climbing a fire escape, they reached the roof of a building and looked around at the beautiful view it provided. A slight breeze sent their mask tails flailing.

"Sure is pretty at night," Mikey commented quietly. Leo nodded in agreement. They stayed in silence for a few more moments before Leo spoke, "So which way do you want to head?"

Mikey brought a three-fingered hand up to his chin and began to stroke an imaginary beard. "Uh...let's go toward Eastman." Nodding, his older brother leapt to the building adjacent to them, heading toward the youngest turtle's choice of direction. The nunchuck wielding mutant followed his blue banded brother from building to building; from roof to roof.

Suddenly, Leo stopped; his follower almost ran into him. "What's wrong, Leo?" Mikey asked, stopping short beside his brother. Leonardo, still silent, used his mutant hand to point. Turning his head, the orange clad turtle saw all four members of the Shredder's Elite Guard hopping from one building to another in a single file line.

"Why aren't they attacking us?" the leader questioned.

"Maybe we aren't the droids they're looking for?" Mikey couldn't resist the Star Wars reference.

"Then what droids _are_ they looking for?" The youngest turtle shrugged. "Then let's find out." Before Michelangelo could protest, Leo was jumping after the Elite and he had no choice but to follow.

The pair stealthily followed the Shredder's ninja to a large warehouse. Busting down the door, the four ninjas entered the building. Halting at the edge of a nearby roof, Leo peered down, examining the exterior. "Looks like one of the Mob's warehouses," he informed his little brother.

"What are they doin' in the Mob's warehouse?"

"I don't know," he paused, trying to peer through one of the windows. "Let's get closer." With that, he jumped to the large building's roof, soon followed by the orange clad turtle. They crawled to a skylight and looked down at the scene below. The Elite Guard were fighting - and easily defeating - a group of Mobsters. Many of them were already on the ground, blood oozing from deep wounds, their sliced guns lying beside them.

"We have to do something," Leo said urgently.

"Why? They're both from evil groups; why not let them kill each other off?"

"Because whatever the Foot want with this building, it isn't good and innocent people could get hurt if we don't do something."

Mikey sighed. "Right. Let's get on with this then." Taking both nunchucks from their place on his belt, he used one to bust the sunlight. He and his eldest brother jumped down and landed on the concrete floor, weapons drawn and ready as they faced the Elite. The four ninjas turned to the two turtles.

"You should not have come," the raspy voice of the one in front warned.

"Too late now, dude," Mikey said as two of the Elite attacked him. Doing a neat backflip to avoid a fatal blow from a trident, the orange clad turtle ducked as a battle ax tried to decapitate him. Popping back up, the youngest turtle hit the trident wielding guard in the face causing him to stumble backwards. Moving quickly, Mikey was able to kick the Elite into the wall before having to block a blow from the battle ax wielding guard.

Leo jumped as a twin bladed sword and a spear tried to slice him. Landing on top of the weapons, he proceeded to kick one Elite guard in the stomach and the other in the face, knocking them down. Backflipping away, the blue clad turtle crossed his katanas as the ninjas quickly recollected their weapons and rushed towards him. He was ready.

Blocking a fatal blow from the trident, Mikey was unable to dodge the kick from the battle ax wielding ninja. Moaning as he hit the wall, the youngest turtle watched as the trident rushed toward his body. Suddenly, a shell was in his view. Leo's twin katanas were locked with the trident, protecting the turtle on the ground. Kicking the opposing ninja away, the blue clad turtle blocked the battle ax as Mikey got up. Jumping up beside his brother, the orange clad turtle whacked the spear wielding ninja across the face before saying, "Thanks for saving my shell!" Leo just nodded, too entangled in the battle to reply.

They battled on for a few minutes before Leo noticed something in the corner of the warehouse. "Mikey! There's a bomb!"

"Holy exploding warehouse, Leoman!"

"This isn't the time for jokes, Michelangelo!" The leader reprimanded as he kicked the trident ninja away. Peering closer, he added, "We don't have much time. Get out of here, Mikey!"

The youngest turtle blocked a blow from the twin bladed sword. "I'm not leaving you, Leo!" the orange clad turtle exclaimed, suddenly serious.

"Michelangelo..." The eldest turtle ducked and knocked the feet out from under the battle ax ninja.

Leo's brothers knew that when he called them by their whole names, he meant business. And you _never_ messed with Leo when he meant business. Even so, dodging the spear, Mikey bravely responded, "No."

"Mich-"

"I would never leave you here to die!"

Glancing around and thinking fast, the blue clad turtle knocked the two ninjas he was fighting away. Running, he proceeded to kick his youngest brother. A surprised Mikey flew out a window and into the river outside.

Two seconds after resurfacing, the orange clad turtle watched the building explode and burst into flames. "LEO!" he screamed. "LEO!"

As sirens sounded in the distance, a fearful Mikey dived underwater to access the sewers.

Tears were streaming down his face as the orange clad turtle entered the lair. Don and Raph were instantly at his side.

"Mikey, what's wrong?" Don asked, wrapping his arms around his little brother.

Raph looked around. "Where's Leo?"

"I-I..We-we...w-warehouse..." Mikey began to tremble and the red clad turtle's arms joined the Brainiac's around him.

"What is it, my son?" Master Splinter asked, exiting the dojo and rapidly approaching his sons.

Taking a deep breath, the nunchuck wielding turtle tried to compose himself. "We were out a-and we saw the Elite, s-so we followed them to one of the-the Mob's warehouses. We f-fought the Elite a-and then we s-saw a bomb." The listener's faces were beginning to look horrified as if they knew where this was going. "Then, L-Leo kicked me out a w-window and i-into the river. And then...then...then it exploded!" Mikey broke down into another fit of tears, but all the others could do was stand there. Finally, breaking out of the trance, Raph exclaimed, "We gotta go back dare!" He turned toward the door.

"There's no way he could of survived that..." Don said glumly. At this, Raph turned back to his brother. "He's Leo! He survived the Foot attack at April's and the Ultimate Ninja crap and the Daimyo's son's poison and-and-" Raph broke off and clenched his fists. "He's too stubborn ta die. He wouldn't allow it!" He scoffed. "He's Fearless Leader, remember? Too good ta die."

"Even if he didn't make it," Splinter spoke sadly. Grief was spread across his face. "I would like his body...so that we may have a proper burial."

"I-I don't think I can go back there." Mikey looked up at Don with glassy eyes when the intelligent turtle began to rub his shell comfortingly.

Raph turned and exited the lair, his grief-filled family trodding slowly behind him.

When they reached the warehouse, the flames had been put out and all that was left was the blackened debris. Raph instantly began to rummage through the large pile and his family followed his example, though slower than the anxious turtle. After a few moments of search, they all heard a wail from Mikey. Racing over, they all saw what had caused the reaction from their brother.

Leo's mask.

The youngest turtle was on his knees, clutching it as he began to cry harder than he ever had before. Don fell to his knees as silent tears fell down his cheeks. Splinter lowered his head. "I will miss you, my son." Raph's eyes began to glisten. His hands rolled into fists. "When I get my hands on da Shredder..." he trailed off, in too much misery to finish his threat.

After a few minutes of silence only broken by Mikey's loud sniffling, their Sensei's gloom-filled voice spoke, "We should return home."

Don helped Mikey up and they all moved slowly home. The mutants entered the lair, heads down, hearts aching.

"Hey, guys."

Their heads snapped up and stared in disbelief. Mikey stumbled forward and touched the leaf-green skin. It felt real. He looked up into those chocolate brown eyes. They seemed real.

"...Mikey...?" The figure in front of him asked. The voice seemed real.

"LEO!" Mikey exclaimed as he frantically hugged his eldest brother. Raph and Don rushed forward, crushing Leo in a large group hug.

The orange clad turtle held up the blue fabric he clutched in his mutant hands. The twin katana wielding turtle took it from him with a smile. "Guess I'll be needing a new mask, huh?"

Master Splinter stood in the doorway, grin on his face. He had thought his son was dead. Now, he was too over-joyed that he was alive to move. Leo's eyes met his and the eldest turtle could see the relief and love. The wise rat opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't find the words. The blue clad turtle nodded to show his Sensei, his father, he understood.

"We..We thought you were gone, bro," Mikey managed to mutter. Leo wrapped his arms around his little brothers, pulling them closer. "And leave all of this? I could never."

Looking over Mikey's head at Don, Raph gave his immediate younger brother a goofy grin. "Told ya he was too stubborn."

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><p><strong>AN: **So, what do you think?

Oh yeah, I know I didn't say it in the story, but Leo got out, like, a second before it exploded and his mask tails got caught on something, therefore it ripping off and him leaving it behind. I just couldn't fit it in there, sooo...yeah :)

Anyway, REVIEW and I'll love you forever :D

~MarMar~


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